


a shimmering balance act

by hollow_city



Series: dreams aren't what they used to be [2]
Category: Batman (Comics), Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Alternate Universe, College of Winterhold - Freeform, Crack Treated Seriously, Crossover, Humor, M/M, Magic, and the dragonborn, fight me, tim is the archmage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-15
Updated: 2017-08-15
Packaged: 2018-12-13 04:04:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11751627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hollow_city/pseuds/hollow_city
Summary: archmage drake doesn't play favorites... except when illusion apprentice todd is around and he totally does.[brief snapshots between tim drake and jason todd as mages at the college of winterhold.]





	a shimmering balance act

**Author's Note:**

> this is a sequel set in the not-so-distant future after _fancy magic_ , and i suppose you can read this without reading that or knowing too much about skyrim (or any of the elder scrolls games, really) because most everything important is explained to some degree. it would make more sense to have knowledge of both.

  ** _THE APPRENTICES_**

Together, Jason Todd, Roy Harper, and Koriand'r are a nightmare. Their teachers try to keep them separate as best they can in order to ensure they actually get work done during classes, but it's all in vain. 

Their quarters are all side by side in the Hall of Attainment's floor, and more often than not, fall asleep in each other's rooms. When they're not in their quarters, they're out in the courtyard messing around with the new spells they learn in class. They don't have any overlapping classes because they all specialize in different schools - even with the basics classes that all apprentices have to take - so they don't see each other during any class time.

But sometimes, they make messes. Big messes. Because despite the fact that they are all legal adults and can be fairly mature when they want to, they're highly immature when they want to be, too. 

Roy will conjure up a frost atronach and Jason and Kori will provoke it until it comes after them, which is when Jason will muffle his movements, rendering himself nearly undetectable, and Kori will cast runes in its path, successfully frustrating the atronach until it sulks back to Roy's side. Sometimes they almost feel bad for how sad it looks, despite not having a face, but it doesn't stop them from doing it again.

When they really mess up is when Roy finally learns and masters the storm atronach, and they let the thing chase them around the courtyard for ten minutes straight, avoiding stray rocks that it pelts them with and dodging the purple lightning bolts it sends their way. It gets angrier by the second, but Roy is watching it with a close eye to make sure it doesn't  _actually_ kill his friends. 

And then Faralda steps through the front gate and nearly takes a rock to the face. She ducks at the last second, and it smacks into the stone wall of the yard. When she comes back up, her yellow eyes are narrowed dangerously and her hands are twitching.

All three apprentices look rightfully terrified as they stand there in a clump beside a pile of ash that once was the storm atronach. Their hoods come up and they watch with wide eyes as Faralda stalks forward.

There are two people behind her, both young, but they stay where they are, obviously confused. 

"I have had it with the three of you!" she seethes, clenching her fists to the point that they burst into flames. "I should-"

"Whoa, okay," a voice breaks in, and Faralda shifts back a few steps against her own will.

All eyes land on the man standing a short distance away with his hand outstretched and glowing a faded orange. Like usual, he flushes under all of the attention and lowers his hand. 

"What's going on?" Tim asks, looking back and forth between the apprentices, the master of Destruction, and the two strangers. When his gaze finally falls on the pile of ash, he sighs. "I didn't think I'd have to ban atronachs from the courtyard."

Roy looks positively heartbroken at the thought, and the Archmage backtracks. 

"But I still won't be. Just... please, don't injure any of your teachers," he says, crossing his arms and looking back to Faralda. "More newcomers?"

The mage smiles humorlessly. "Yes, Archmage Drake, there are now more of them." She casts the three apprentices a look of disgust. "How  _exciting_."

 

_**LESSONS** _

In his four years at the College, Tim can honestly say that he's never seen anyone advance in the Illusion class as fast as Jason Todd has. After just a few months, he's mastered every novice, apprentice, and adept Illusion spell he can get his hands on, and he's surpassing his classmates like it's no sweat at all.

Which is why he's currently standing beside Tim, staring at him like he's grown an extra head. They're on the roof platforms of the College, and despite the long fall down, Tim is sitting on the railing with his legs dangling over the edge. 

"Master Cain said you wanted to talk to me?" Jason asks, looking equal parts intimidated and in disbelief. "If this is about that incident with the invisible skeevers, I swear that wasn't my-"

Tim raises an eyebrow and looks at Jason through the corner of his eye. "What invisible skeevers?"

Jason's mouth immediately clicks shut. "Invisible skeevers? I have no idea what you're talking about." If he hadn't said it in the first place, Tim would believe him. He's not sure if he's impressed or exasperated that the best student at his college is an incredible liar. 

He sighs, rolling his eyes, and turns back to look over the water. "No, it's not about the skeever incident. According to your teachers, you're advancing incredibly quickly, and they're not sure what to do with you anymore because they don't have any current classes that you could take."

Jason moves closer to the ledge and leans his hands on the icy stone. "What do you mean?"

Tim begins swinging his legs, like the child he is, and says, "you're mastering these spells faster than anyone I've ever seen. Even faster than I did. At the moment, there are no classes at your level, because you're the only student at this college who is where you are."

The older mage looks slightly nervous but covers it up quickly with a blank mask. "So, what does that mean?"

The Archmage shrugs. "It means we have to find you a new teacher. One who can keep up with you and not keep you back with the students who are learning things you already know."

"But Master Cain and Master Neloran are already teaching classes."

Tim suddenly swings one leg back over the ledge so he's sitting facing him. "But I'm not."

Jason stares at him for a good few moments, uncomprehending, before he finally speaks with a voice thick with incredulity, " _You're_ gonna teach me?"

He shrugs. "I don't see why not. I know everything there is to know about the school of magic you're pursuing, and I think you're advancing too quickly to stay in that class." He pauses, swinging his other leg over and standing up. The top of his head comes up to Jason's nose, and he becomes painfully aware of it every time they stand even relatively close.

"We would start tomorrow because I don't think it would be good to miss any of your classes," Tim tells him, reaching up to lift his hood. While he hadn't minded the biting cold for a moment there, his pointy ears are starting to go numb. "But of course, this is only if you actually want to do that."

Jason looks dumbfounded for another moment before he clears his throat and nods. "Yeah, I wanna do that." 

Tim smiles that crooked Elven smile. "Good. Now let's get inside before I actually freeze my ass off."

 

  _ **THE DRAGONBORN**_

To most of Tamriel, including Jason, the Dragonborn was always just a myth. A story that people told and awed over. Dragons were tales told to naughty children and twisted into horror stories about burned villages and thousands dead. 

But unlike myths and legends, dragons came back, and with them, the Dragonborn.

Everyone in Skyrim knows this, now, after countless towns and cities have been attacked and turned to ash. After the fight on the Throat of the World that some could see from Whiterun. After word spread about one boy who held the soul of a dragon inside, despite being very human himself. 

Some still don't believe, and instead, choose to think that it's a tale brought about to make them more likely to fall to the government. Those people are usually the ones the Dragonborn chose to save last. 

(Not that he ever let anybody die without trying his damnedest to save them, according to word of mouth.)

But very few people have actually met him. Sometimes he wanders into taverns and city shops and lets it slip to strangers that he is who he is, and sometimes, he'll even be there when a dragon attacks. He will always be the one to take the last blow, favoring frost magic over solid weapons. Very few have lived to tell what his voice sounds like when he attempts to match that of the dragons he's facing, but plenty have lived to see him devour the soul of the dragons he brings to the ground. 

Nobody knows what he looks like and no one has been able to create an accurate portrait of him, but according to popular belief, the members of the College of Winterhold are well aware of who he is. All of them know. And that just gives the province another reason to hate them, because they refuse to reveal his identity to the public. 

During their time here, Jason, Roy, and Kori have yet to figure out who the Dragonborn is. If it's true that everyone knows who he is, then they figure that they should've found out by now. 

But they still don't know, and right now, they're too concerned with the bright orange dragon that's attacking the courtyard. It's perched on the tallest tower and sneering down at them, its massive jaws opening and closing as it breathes heavily. The Masters are spread across the yard, hands ready and eyes narrowed. They had ordered anybody below Adept into the halls out of concern for their safety. 

Thankfully, Jason thinks, he is not one of them anymore. He now holds Expert status, but he's not entirely sure that means he's ready to take on a large dragon. To be honest, he's never even seen one with his own eyes before. He's heard the stories, and Kori said she once saw one flying off into the distance, but it almost didn't seem real, until now.

And despite his tiny stature and overwhelmingly underwhelming presence, the Archmage is standing in the center of the courtyard, his hood thrown back and a sizable ball of ice sitting idle between his hands. He doesn't look the slightest bit scared, despite the fact that he's being stared down by one of the largest creatures on Tamriel. 

In fact, he's  _smiling_. And then, suddenly, everything begins to shake and the air burns deep blue, and Jason comes to the realization that he actually knows nothing about Tim Drake.

Because Tim Drake just ripped that dragon from the sky with nothing but his voice, and he isn't even breaking a sweat. 

The same deep blue that traveled between the Archmage and the dragon makes a circle around the dragon and brings it slowly to the ground. When its feet hit the concrete, all mages currently present attack at once, and Jason decides that he can gawk later. They throw everything they have at it, and being attacked from all sides with some of the most powerful magic in the province isn't doing the dragon any favors.

It screams fire at the sky, but can't seem to concentrate on actually hitting anybody. The rest of the mages take this as a sign that Jason doesn't quite understand, and back off. He does the same, despite not knowing why, and watches as Tim takes a running start and using the tough scales of the dragon's neck to launch himself onto the top of its head. 

He conjures up a sword in one hand and grabs hold of the red horns to keep himself steady as it thrashes in an attempt to throw him off. He seems to have some experience, though, because his feet stay dug into the scales, and his sword hacks and slashes its way through towards soft and vulnerable skin.

Of all the people in the entire province to be labeled the Dragonborn, Jason definitely hadn't thought it would be a tiny Altmer kid whose brain is too large for his body. He had expected some kind of war-hardened brute who chews on steel for fun and mows down mammoths every other week. 

Jason watches as Tim finally finds the weak spot, and drives his sword straight through it with a grimace. The dragon lets out an agonized roar before falling unceremoniously to the ground. Tim jumps off before the impact can throw him off and stumbles a bit before regaining his footing. The sword dissipates and the mages close to him take another step back. It seems almost rehearsed; like they've done this before.

Well, he supposes, it probably has. If what he's heard from Steph and Cass is true, then the College isn't new to dragon attacks. They get one every once and a while, and not a single mage, apprentice and master alike, has ever been taken down by one. 

He's broken out of his thoughts at the unsettling sound of the dragon's scales beginning to burn. They seem to disappear straight into thin air, and streams of light rise from within the corpse, twisting through the air towards the form of the Archmage. Tim's head is tilted back and his entire body is loose as the soul is absorbed. 

It's the strangest, most incredible thing Jason has ever seen. But he doesn't get the chance to awe over it any longer than he has, because once it's over, Tim is back to his quiet self, requesting that the bones be removed or sold, whichever they want, and he's heading back towards the Hall of the Elements. 

Jason follows closely after him, a thousand questions on the tip of his tongue. When he finally reaches Tim's side, he doesn't even have to say anything, because the younger mage seems to be two steps ahead of him already.

"Yes, I am what you think I am," he says softly, heading for the door to his quarters, gesturing for Jason to follow him. Not many people are allowed into his section of the College.

(Jason is the exception.)

Jason doesn't quite know what to say and splutters his whole way up the stairs. When they finally reach the top, he stops and rakes a hand through his hair. 

"You're the Dragonborn?" he blurts incredulously. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Tim pulls the silver and blue circlet off his head and shakes out his hair, dropping everything besides his robes on a chair. 

"You didn't ask," he says simply, grabbing an apple from the bowl on the table and biting into it, all the while avoiding Jason's gaze. 

Jason huffs as he collapses into one of the chairs, crossing his arms over his chest. He's still trying to comprehend that the man he's been spending most of his time with has the  _soul of a dragon._

"I mean... why would I even - what?" he stammers, staring up at Tim with wide eyes. 

Tim sighs sadly and twists the apple in his fingers. "This is why I didn't want to tell you. Why I didn't wanna tell anyone else besides the ones who already know."

Jason's eyebrows furrow. "What? Why?"

The younger man sits down in the chair opposite Jason and continues to stare down at his hands. It takes him a moment to speak, and when he does, he looks up with a fiery anger in his pale green eyes. 

"Because every time someone finds out, they treat me differently. I'm not just  _Tim_ anymore, and they expect so much of me, and I just can't do it," he rambles passionately, looking everywhere but at Jason. "And you were one of the only people who didn't see me like that, and I liked that, but now it'll be different."

Jason stares at him for a moment, his mouth dropping open slightly as he tries to comprehend what he's just heard. 

Finally, he says, "So, you were afraid that I would suddenly stop thinking that you're a badass, incredibly smart to the point that you're a smart- _ass_ , cute, regular-old-guy?" He realizes belatedly that he probably shouldn't call the boss a smartass, but it's already been said, and Tim seems to be focusing on something else.

His golden cheeks are slightly orange, and he asks, "You think I'm cute?"

" _That's_ what you got from that?!" 

 

  _ **THE FAVORITE**_

There's a reason that Tim separates his work life from his personal life. This is why.

"You like him. You totally like him, Timmy, don't deny it!"

He sighs in exasperation as Steph shakes an entire bottle of Argonian Bloodwine in his direction, sending him a half-drunken smile. They're gathered in one of the side rooms of the Hall of Countenance, all nursing their own bottles of alcohol. 

Faralda smirks from around the edge of her bottle of mead and nods in agreement. 

Tim sighs again and rests his bottle against the table as he drags his other hand down his face. 

"I don't  _like_ him," he protests. "He's my friend!"

Cass's eyes twinkle at him as she takes a sip of her Sujamma. "Lying is wrong, Tim. Playing favorites, too," she tells him quietly. 

Faralda decides to speak up. "Timothy, that boy doesn't want to  _just_ be your friend. Believe me."

He groans and takes a moment to down several burning gulps of his drink, and pinches the bridge of his nose when he's done.

"Okay. Okay. If I admit that I like him, will the three of you shut up?" 

Three bottles hit the table, and in sync:

" _I knew it!"_

**Author's Note:**

> i was gonna write something super angsty including tim + lots of death but i went to comic con (technically yesterday, but i've been writing this since) and met _queen_ katie cassidy, and i was just too happy to do that.


End file.
